Managing your money: Step one to building credit. It may seem like a step backwards, but before you can build and/or rebuild your credit, you must first make sure you have laid a solid financial foundation based on proper management of your money. You must be able to manage what…
The FDIC frequently hears from bank customers who have been or think they were the victims of theft or fraud. The FDIC Consumer News highlighted 10 scams that specifically target bank customers and provided some basic instruction on how to protect your money and personal information in the article I…
Are you being haunted by a low credit score? We know how our credit score is a huge part of our financial picture. Having bad credit can cost you money (not qualifying for a particular job) and missed opportunities (paying higher interest rates, higher insurance premiums, and not being able…
Before you accept a new credit card, there are a few things you need to know and to consider: Don’t accept too many – Be selective about the cards you choose and don’t have too many at one time. There is rarely a good reason to have more than one…
As part of the Federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act, every Mississippi Resident is eligible to receive one free Personal Credit Report every 12 months from each of the nationwide credit reporting companies. To learn more, please visit the FACT Act Central Site located at: annualcreditreport.com. Any other…
Most of us know about the 3 main credit report bureaus – Experian, Transunion, and Equifax …but have you seen ALL your credit reports? Did you know that more exist and are referred to as specialty credit reports? There are many other credit reporting agencies that report nationwide in specialty…
How does consumer credit counseling work? And more importantly, is there “a catch”? Consumer credit counseling can work great for someone who is just a little over extended in debt. Consumer credit counseling agencies are the true non-profit agencies you hear about that work with your credit card companies to…
How does bankruptcy affect my credit? Bankruptcy has a negative impact on your credit, but it’s the road to credit recovery, not a death sentence to your credit. Think for a moment – if you are already behind on payments and debts – your credit couldn’t get much worse than it…
Whether you are doing a debt consolidation, debt management, debt settlement, credit counseling, or bankruptcy, all negatively affect your credit. The secret they don’t want you to know: your credit will suffer if you are not paying creditors exactly like you agreed or exactly like they want. Debt consolidation, debt…
The bankruptcy code does not require that you reaffirm, or sign an agreement to continue to be personally responsible for the payments on your mortgage. As long as you continue to pay the house notes they cannot foreclose. However, most mortgage companies will not report your payments to the credit…